''Landolphia'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Apocynaceae Apocynaceae (from ''Apocynum'', Greek for "dog-away") is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, stem succulents, and vines, commonly known as the dogbane family, because some taxa were used as dog poison Members of the ...

first described as a genus in 1806. They take the form of vines that scramble over host trees. ''Landolphia'' is native to tropical

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
/ref>

Characteristics

There are about fifty species of ''Landolphia'' in continental Africa and about fourteen more species in Madagascar. They are typically found in forest habitats in tropical West and Central Africa, scrambling over trees, but a few species are large shrubs. They have simple, glossy green leaves in opposite pairs, jasmine-like flowers with tubes and parts in fives, and hard-shelled, fleshy fruits with several seeds embedded in the pulp. After fruiting, the flower stem develops into a twisting tendril which branches near its tip.

Uses

Members of this genus exude

latex Latex is an emulsion (stable dispersion) of polymer microparticles in water. Latexes are found in nature, but synthetic latexes are common as well. In nature, latex is found as a milky fluid found in 10% of all flowering plants (angiosperms ...

when the bark is damaged. The vines have traditionally been used to supply rubber but that function has increasingly been taken over by the rubber tree, ''

Hevea brasiliensis ''Hevea brasiliensis'', the Pará rubber tree, ''sharinga'' tree, seringueira, or most commonly, rubber tree or rubber plant, is a flowering plant belonging to the spurge family Euphorbiaceae Euphorbiaceae, the spurge family, is a large fami ...

'' which can be conveniently grown in plantations. The latex from these vines is still used to a limited extent for rubber production. Many species have large edible fruits which are sweet and juicy and rich in beta-carotene. However, commercialisation of the crop is difficult because of the nature of the vines, their need for suitable supports and the lack of knowledge of suitable cultivation techniques. ;Species

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q2715319 Apocynaceae genera Rauvolfioideae